Slow Cooker Paprika Pork over Parmesan Polenta

Or we could just call it PPPPPPPPPPPPPPP.

It’s like the scene in Friends when Joey was on set as a soldier (and almost missing Monica and Chandler’s wedding!), and his counter actor soldier guy keeps spitting all over him because, “when you enunciate, you spit!”

It’s totally like that. (soldier costume sold separately)

WHICH, by the way, did you know pork tenderloin shreds just.as.marvelously. in a slow cooker as say, a pork butt or shoulder?

Toooootes. (it’s been a long time. go easy on me.)

McGoaaaaates. (yeah now you’re officially allowed to push me off a cliff.)

But really! This was my first time ever putting a pork tenderloin in a crock pot and let me just say –

Bev: 1

Pulled Pork Tenderloin: HA-ZERO

I can’t tell you how excited this made me. I kept chirping around the kitchen to myself and air, “it shreds! it totally shreds! it shreds like a butt! it shreds like a shoulder! and it shreds! hey guess what it shreds!”

(that cliff is looking mighty tempting, isn’t it?)

And okay I have a secret. I dumped 47 gallons of parmesan cheese into this creamy polenta and didn’t tell Aaron and he just ooooohed and aaaaaahed and I just hee hee hee-haaaaawed inside.

Bev: 2

Aaron: HA-ZERO.

If I beg of only one thing from you in our life together. . .

May it be this. (and to probably not push me off that cliff I mentioned.)

Slow Cooker Paprika Pork over Parmesan Polenta:

What it took for 4:

for the pork:

* 1 pound 8 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed of any excess fat
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 1 cup salsa
* 2 Tbs. smoked paprika
* 2 sprigs fresh oregano
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 large pinch salt and pepper

for the polenta:

* 2 cups milk
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup polenta
* 2 Tbs. butter
* 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
* 1 pinch coarse salt

In a slow cooker, combine all of the above ingredients (not the polenta. how funny would that be. HOW MAD would you have been!?) Anyway, throw it all in and cook about 3 hours. Stick two forks down in it and shred the pork right in the juices. Cook 1 more hour.

Bring the milk and water to a slight boil. Stir in the polenta and whisk until creamy and thick, about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine.

Serve a good mound of paprika pork over a bed of creamy polenta.

Garnish with parsley if deesssaaahhhhred.

I can’t wait for you to make this.

Bev: 3

Life: HA – yeah I can chill.

 

 

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51 Responses to Slow Cooker Paprika Pork over Parmesan Polenta

  1. Laurie {Simply Scratch} November 12, 2012 at 8:13 am #
    Oh how I love polenta! This is so happening for dinner and soon!
  2. Maria November 12, 2012 at 8:31 am #
    Love me some polenta!
  3. Sommer@ASpicyPerspective November 12, 2012 at 8:38 am #
    Girl, save me a bite!!
  4. claire @ the realistic nutritionist November 12, 2012 at 8:39 am #
    I freaking lOVE polenta!!
  5. Cindy Martin November 12, 2012 at 8:41 am #
    I want...now, :)
  6. nicole b. November 12, 2012 at 8:48 am #
    Being from the South and all, I may do cheese grits instead of polenta. I just made a big ol' Crockpot full of shredded beef (for tacos) last night. This would be a good recipe for leftovers! Thanks, Bev!
  7. Lori @ RecipeGirl November 12, 2012 at 8:49 am #
    This is just a crazy good idea. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE CREAMY POLENTA? a lot.
  8. Cookbook Queen November 12, 2012 at 8:49 am #
    Oh darling...you had me at slow cooker paprika.
  9. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl November 12, 2012 at 9:10 am #
    Your reaction reminds me of my reaction when I made Grilled Pork Souvlaki with tenderloin instead of the traditional shoulder. TAKE THAT SHOULDER!
  10. Paula - bell'alimento November 12, 2012 at 12:25 pm #
    You had me at PPPPPPPPPPP
  11. Cassie | Bake Your Day November 12, 2012 at 1:03 pm #
    I love your Friends references. And parmesan polenta. The end.
  12. Nancy/SpicieFoodie November 12, 2012 at 3:18 pm #
    Wow, I can't tell you how amazing this looks! Love the spices, the cooking method and serving it over polenta sounds heavenly. Thanks for sharing and can't wait to give it a try.
  13. Kathryn November 12, 2012 at 4:09 pm #
    Oh Bev, this sounds so incredible. Want!
  14. Tracey @ Cooking with Love November 12, 2012 at 6:42 pm #
    Yum! I almost thought you made grits! I love grits. That polenta looks soooo creamy and delicious. I must try this soooooon!!! :)
  15. Tracey @ Cooking with Love November 12, 2012 at 6:44 pm #
    I almost thought you made grits! I love polenta and grits, and this looks so creamy and delicious. YUM!
  16. Julie @ Table for Two November 12, 2012 at 7:47 pm #
    wow this looks too good to eat! who am i kidding? i'd inhale that entire bowl!
  17. Ruthy @ omeletta November 12, 2012 at 8:54 pm #
    Lolzing for days over your "HA-ZERO". I don't have a slow cooker but that polenta looks HA-MAZING (see what I did there?) Love it!
  18. Katie November 12, 2012 at 9:32 pm #
    Oh heck yes. I'm all in.
  19. Nicole @ Daily Dish Recipes November 12, 2012 at 9:44 pm #
    You pretty much had me at polenta. Oh my, how beautiful this all looks and sounds. Yes, definitely soon.
  20. Jessica November 13, 2012 at 9:40 am #
    god why do you make the most perfect meals?! i'm so pissed that you're not my neighbor.
  21. Gail November 13, 2012 at 10:35 am #
    Did you cook on high? just wondering - never thought about shredding a pork tenderloin - Looks delicious.
    • Bev Weidner November 13, 2012 at 11:14 am #
      Yes! It was on high for 4 hours total. And it worked perfectly!
      • Gail November 13, 2012 at 11:44 am #
        Thank you - WIll try soon!
  22. Vita @ Juicer Depot November 14, 2012 at 3:53 pm #
    I made this yesterday and it was excellent! Mine had to cook for 4 hours instead of 3, then I shredded it and threw it back into the crock pot. It still had a lot of liquid when I went to serve it. In your third picture you don't have any liquid. Was I supposed to cook it longer while it was shredded until it absorbed up all the liquids or did you just drain all that liquid? Let me know because I definitely want to make this again and again. This was also my first time making creamy polenta. It had a wonderful creamy texture.
    • Bev Weidner November 14, 2012 at 4:02 pm #
      Ahhhh, I actually have an answer! When I made it, I only used about 1/2 cup of salsa (but still the cup of broth), BUUUUT I decided that in the end I would prefer a little more juiciness, so I adjusted the recipe to add 1/2 cup more salsa. SO, it's really your preference how much liquid you want. Next time try just 1/2 cup of salsa to get more of the effect I had in the pictures. So glad you liked it!
  23. Katie @ Blonde Ambition November 15, 2012 at 7:24 pm #
    I am allllll about slow cooked pork. And I also like a bit of polenta with my parmesan, so this meal sounds perfect!
  24. Christian Rene Friborg November 18, 2012 at 8:14 pm #
    PARMESAN POLENTA IS AWESOME.
  25. Katherine November 27, 2012 at 3:53 pm #
    Just wondering. . .do you think if I cooked it on low for . . . 9ish hours. . . should I add more liquid? Will it work or be disintegrated? I wish wish that I could only be at work for 4 and I could tell my boss that I have to go home to shred pork, but I don't think he'd buy that. Thoughts appreciated!
    • Bev Weidner November 27, 2012 at 4:21 pm #
      Hey, Katherine! I think a little more liquid might be perfect! Better to have too much than too little, as you can drain off any you don't want. So yeah, try a little more and let me know how it turns out!
  26. Erin December 6, 2012 at 4:00 pm #
    Love pulled pork tenderloin - it is the only way I make it how. And LOVE creamy polenta!
  27. tori December 16, 2012 at 3:06 pm #
    Was super excited to make this... but I put the pork loin in the slow cooker w/everything (except polenta, ha) on high for 3 hours and went to shred it and it was TOUGH. Maybe I should have cooked it on low? I feel like I just did an insanity upper body work out after trying to shred it, but am hoping that keeping it finely shredded in the juices might salvage it on warm for a while. Fingers crossed! I have yet to make the polenta but feel that that might be my saving grace? Hope I didn't make a mistake w/the slow cooker on high, but I thought that's what I saw others did... ???
    • Kelsey July 21, 2013 at 10:07 pm #
      Hey Tori, I was looking for the answer to this as well. Same thing happened and I was bummmmedddd. Instead of shredding it I sliced it super thin, but even that wasn't enough. Now I'm wondering what to do with all this tough tenderloin :(
      • Bev Weidner July 22, 2013 at 6:57 am #
        Let me go back and see what I missed! I'll try to help. So sorry!
  28. Emily H. December 27, 2012 at 5:43 pm #
    This is absolutely delicious! It is so flavorful and the pork and polenta go together beautifully. This is going in my recipe book -- it's going to be one of my "regulars."
  29. Emilie January 2, 2013 at 2:49 pm #
    My husband and I made this the other night and it was good...I love polenta and pulled pork. I do think that it tasted a little too much like the jar of salsa we used though, so I may try to just used canned diced tomatoes with some onions next time.
  30. CindyP January 16, 2013 at 8:43 pm #
    Thank you! This was very flavorful and so easy! A new comfort food favorite!
  31. Jen A. February 11, 2013 at 7:57 pm #
    I made this and it came out yummy, maybe a little smokey for my taste, but my husband loved it! I used the leftover pork ( I had a two lb tenderloin) in a baked Mac and cheese and the smoke paired perfectly with the creamy cheddar.
  32. sheryl February 17, 2013 at 12:01 pm #
    For the polenta, your recipe calls for 1 cup of polenta; however when i made this..one cup was not enough??? I used store-bought polenta in the tube. I had to use the entire 16 oz tube. Does the recipe call for cornmeal polenta the raw grain or the tube of pte made, ready-to-use polenta?
    • Bev Weidner February 17, 2013 at 2:22 pm #
      Aaaahhh, I think I know what happened! I used the raw cornmeal. A full cup of that. Once you add all the liquid it comes out to be pretty much. The tube is precooked, so it won't have the same soft texture, and won't yield as much as the loose cornmeal. I'm so sorry!
      • Sheryl March 25, 2013 at 5:57 pm #
        No worries! Thank you for responding. I kind of figured that is what happened. It was still very delish & I can't wait to try it again with the proper ingredients. Thank you!
        • Shelby October 3, 2013 at 2:31 pm #
          I have never made polenta. My friend who has swears this must be instant polenta. When she makes it she has to stir it forever before it's done. So raw corn meal, not polenta, not instant, and definitely not from the tube!
          • Bev Weidner October 3, 2013 at 2:52 pm #
            This is actually real polenta! Not the tube, but Bob's Old Mill's polenta. The bag actually says "Corn Grits knows as Polenta." It really doesn't take long at all to come together! Let me know how it turns out!
  33. Kate March 5, 2013 at 5:57 pm #
    Omg, made this for dinner. One of the best meals ever. We had roasted carrots and kale on the side. Perfection!
  34. Patty April 1, 2013 at 10:53 pm #
    I made the polenta tonight for dinner and it was amazing. I can't wait to try the pork. My whole family enjoyed it. And it will be in my keeper recipe folder
  35. Emily H. June 28, 2013 at 3:02 pm #
    I make this all the time now-- we love it! Thanks for sharing it :)
  36. RW May 18, 2016 at 7:43 pm #
    Don't know how I "landed" on your page for this, but you combined 3 of my favorite things here. Slow Cooker (working persons friend), pork tenderloin (yummy delight), and polenta (mom comfort food). Add in your charming descriptions and I believe you have a winner. Thank you....I'm going to copy this for a later date, and poke around your pages for a look see of other delights. ;) keep cooking. RW
  37. Ashley March 3, 2019 at 10:49 pm #
    I found this recipe on Pinterest in 2012 and we've been making it ever since. Such a good "stick to ya ribs" meal on a cold NY day!

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